A Costa Rican man was sentenced last week to 70 years in prison for killing a US student and another young American in March. Emily Howell was in Costa Rica on a photography project as part of her course at Antioch College, Ohio. Fellow student Shauna Sellers and former Antioch student Emily Eagen were visiting their friend when they were shot by Alberto Urbina Cisneros.

The Central American nation has enjoyed a reputation for safety and stability.